ST, LUCIE COUNTY, Florida -- Newly released footage shows a dramatic high-speed pursuit along the Florida Turnpike last week involving a stolen vehicle.
The St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office responded to a stolen vehicle traveling on the Florida Turnpike around 2 p.m. on Jan. 1 after Air Patrol reported it was following the 2006 Chevrolet Avalanche, according to WFTV.
Officers attempted to stop the vehicle around 2:15 p.m., triggering a pursuit that stretched from the Treasure Coast to Osceola County. Shortly after 3 p.m., the driver identified as 24-year-old Dakota Middleton struck a patrol car.
During the pursuit, Middleton used the shoulder to pass multiple vehicles, went northbound in the southbound lanes and reached speeds up to 98 mph, according to officials.
Around 3:20 p.m., deputies used a stop stick to disable the suspect’s left front tire. A PIT maneuver was then performed by a Florida Highway Patrol trooper and the suspect’s vehicle overturned and came to a final rest on the right shoulder. Middleton was taken into custody after being transported to the hospital for his injuries.
Middleton was charged with grand theft auto and aggravated assault on an officer and was booked into Osceola County Jail.
